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Yating Yang

It had started out as another routine work day for Chinese delivery driver Peng Qinglin, when in an instant, his life took a dramatic turn.
Peng’s bravery and quick thinking on June 13 in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province in southeastern China, has since won hearts and heaps of praise on mainland social media.
The 31-year-old, originally from Hunan province in southern China, was driving his electric bicycle on a food delivery when he noticed that a woman was struggling in the Qiantang River, next to the road he was travelling on.
Peng decided there was only one thing he could do.
He climbed over the railings of the 12-metre-high bridge in an attempt to rescue the woman.
A video of the incident taken by a bystander and posted online shows that Peng hesitated for a few seconds before finally jumping into the water.

“It was quite high, and my legs were trembling. However, if I didn’t jump, she might not have survived. Nothing is more precious than life,” he told China Blue News in an interview after the incident.
Seconds after diving in, Peng resurfaced, but he struggled to breathe. A terrifying moment he described as “extremely long”.
“Now, looking back, I feel a bit scared because I didn’t know what was happening at the time,” he said.
Soon after Peng’s plunge, police and lifeboats arrived on the scene and completed the rescue within 10 minutes.
After the drama, Peng had a new worry, his food orders had not been delivered, and he faced fines for the delays.
However, he soldiered on, finished his deliveries and the platform he worked for decided not to hold him responsible for the time lost.
Following his act of heroism, Peng has been showered with awards and recognition from the food delivery company, as well as the local authorities, who gave him a 50,000 yuan (US$7,000) reward, and an opportunity to study at a university for free.
The 29-year-old woman he saved is in a good condition despite her ordeal, and she expressed deep gratitude to Peng: “I never expected him to grab me back from the ‘King of Hell’,” she told City Link.

However, Peng has paid a physical price for his bravery and requires hospital treatment for the compression fractures he suffered when he hit the surface of the water.
The video of Peng’s life-saving exploits posted on social media has earned widespread praise from online observers.
“There are no heroes who descend from the sky. Instead, it is ordinary people who step forward in times of danger,” said one commenter.
Another added: “Peng Qinglin’s two seconds meant a lifetime for the woman. He is a real man, a real hero.”
“A hero who acts bravely and selflessly deserves more than just recognition. He deserves all these tangible rewards,” another person wrote.
China has become deeply dependent on food delivery workers.
In 2022, the combined number of delivery drivers working for China’s two largest food delivery platforms was a staggering 7.38 million, according to company data.
The challenges such workers face to ensure timely deliveries under difficult conditions and demanding work schedules often draw significant public sympathy and support.
Last December, in the southeastern province of Fujian, a group of firefighters had to help a woman delivery driver who was found lying exhausted at the side of a road. They took her to a fire station and notified her family.
But some delivery drivers have been less fortunate.
In July 2022, a customer in Shandong province, eastern China, prevented a delivery driver from using the lift, hurled insults and threw hot noodles at her, according to an online report.


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Worker jumps off 12-metre high bridge in middle of shift to save drowning woman then gets back on his bike to complete food deliveries
31-year-old hailed as hero as woman he saved thanks him for saving her from the ‘King of Hell’


A Chinese food delivery worker has been hailed as a hero after he stopped his work mid-shift and leapt off a high bridge to save a drowning woman before continuing on with his job.
